Gator Gymnastics Falls One-Tenth Short of First NCAA Title

Published April 22nd, 2012

Loading Video...

The Florida Gators led by the slimmest of margins heading into the final rotation of the NCAA Super Six. In an emotional rollercoaster that saw Florida leading, trailing, and in the lead again, another SEC team swooped in and claimed back-to-back team titles. Florida took the lead for the final time of the afternoon over UCLA when freshman Kytra Hunter delivered a 9.925 floor performance, putting the Gators back on top by 0.025. But defending national champs Alabama had one final gymnast on the beam exercise, and Ashley Priess capped the comeback with a 9.95, besting Florida with a total team score of 197.85. The Gators finished a close second (197.775), only seventy-five thousandths behind the Crimson Tide, and watched Alabama hoist the trophy in their place. Despite the tough loss, Florida gymnasts held their heads high because of everything they've accomplished this season, including in the final meet. The last time the Gators had a runners-up finish in the country was back in 1998, and Florida bested its own mark in Super Six meets with this year's score. UCLA, Stanford, Utah, and Arkansas rounded out the team standings.